Framed Ugandan Barkcloth | 31 x 31

Framed Ugandan Barkcloth | 31 x 31

750.00

Traditional Ugandan barkcloth floating over a linen mat result in a stunning piece of art.

“The producers of this surprisingly soft and supple material first scrape away the outer bark of fig trees called mutuba (usually Ficus natalensis), then slit inner bark with a knife and peel it upward off the tree. They boil the bark in great pans of water to soften it, and then pound it for several hours with heavy wooden mallets until it is much, much thinner, wider, and softer. The cloth is dried in the sun, where it darkens to a ruddy brown, while the exposed trunk is wrapped in banana leaves for a few days to protect it as new bark grows, for another harvest.”